This rose only has thorns
by eternalskeptic
Summary: Hi,I am Sakura a normal Teenager aspiring to be an artist.I am an absolute nobody except for the tiny detail that I am engaged to the football star Nakatsu and current romantic interest of the top model of the nation,Nanba. NanbaXOCXNakatsu
1. Chapter 1: An unlikely pair

Its summer already, and I've made it through second year without much problems. I sat on the chair watching the sunrise from my window, the sun rays almost looked like golden fingers stretching out to embrace the world, I chuckled at my own analogy as I made my way to the common bathroom. I was working at Io san 's inn for the summer break to earn enough money for next term's expenses. My parents paid for school but my dorm life funding came from my own pocket, it was their way of making me realize the importance of money. Sigh. I wish I could be like my other classmates enjoying in some fancy summer home playing on the beach, instead here I am washing dishes and scrubbing the floor. I shook my head to shake off the dreary thoughts and started to brush my teeth, I rolled my eyes as I realized that Io san had switched all the toothpastes to strawberry this month, I made a mental note to buy a more neutral flavour on my next trip to the mart. I took a quick shower and made my way to the kitchen to help Io san with the breakfast. I mentally counted the weeks in my head, "It is the second week, so it's a western breakfast" That meant pancakes, ah! Finally something to look forward to!

I skipped to the kitchen whistling my favorite song but just as I was walking down the corridor two pair of hands caught me from behind. "Good morning, Sakura-chan" said a raspy voice in my ear. I rolled my eyes as I elbowed the 'assailant' careful not to hurt him too much. I turned to see Minami Nanba nursing his now injured stomach. He smiled widely and said, "Feisty as always Sakura-chan! How about we go out today?" he said flashing me his model smile. I shook my head in annoyance and turned to head back to the kitchen. "Oi, atleast give me an answer!" he called out. I just stuck out one finger in reply and kept walking. I could still hear him chuckling and saying something that sounded like 31st time.

Minami was a charming guy, handsome and smart – the typical playboy, he had recently become a model and had even made it to the list of ten models to watch out for. He was permanently hounded by women and yet he just had to pester me every single day! I have known him for almost a year now and I have noticed that the more the girl refuses him the more interested he gets. Hmm… maybe I should just go out with him so he'll leave me alone. What am I thinking! There is no way I was going to spend my first date with a playboy! I ran a hand through my long black hair as I tended to the pancakes. My mother had insisted that I grow my hair, ever since I was a kid it has always been till my waist. I find it rather irritating but I keep it long to avoid getting nagged! God, how mothers nag! I looked at the mirror nearby to see if I had to trim my hair. I was starting to get a few split ends so I better trim them before they got worse. I looked at my reflection for a bit longer. Now, don't go labeling me a narcissist. I was just doing what any girl near a mirror would do! I wasn't beautiful, but I had good bone structure and was above average in the looks department. My dad used to always say that he liked my chestnut brown eyes and the way they become big when I didn't understand something. I was thin but not anorexic because eating was something I took much pleasure in, and since I was blessed with a rather high metabolic rate I could eat quite a lot without putting on weight The smell of pancakes brought my attention back to the stove. I made five pancakes before the kitchen door opened and in came Io san. Now, there was a beautiful woman. She had lovely black hair and was very fit for her age. I guess Minami owed his good looks to her. She gave me a wide smile as she started to make scrambled eggs. "There is my diligent worker! (patting me on the back) How many pancakes have you finished?". "Five" I said flatly. She chuckled slightly, I looked up cocking an inquiring eyebrow. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to laugh its just that you were concentrating so hard on the pancakes." She said still chuckling. I just rolled my eyes and went back to making the pancakes. I wasn't much of the social type and preferred to keep my conversations short. Io san tried to cajole me into talking more but gave up after a week. She was very hyper and exceptionally bossy but she was an excellent inn keeper and I appreciated that. We both got along pretty well, and she made it a point to drag me to the mall every Thursday. Gah, shopping! It was something I dreaded. The only things I liked shopping for were shoes, and after three pairs you just run out of money for anymore. So I tried to buy them only when I really liked them. Io san had switched on the radio and a Japanese pop song started filling the kitchen, it was one of those new catchy songs which were totally non sensical but catchy nonetheless. We were both humming along when the doors opened and in stepped his highness Minami. I just platted the pancakes and poured the maple syrup on it ,adding two strawberries on the top and wordlessly slid it towards him. "Ah, just the way I like it! Sakura-chan knows how to keep me happy!" he said looking at me. I just ignored him as I grabbed a few pancakes for myself and walked towards the porch. Just as I was about to reach my sanctuary Io san caught my elbow and yanked me back. I almost dropped the plate and my lovely pan cakes. I glowered at her, she just patted me on the head and said, "We should eat together maybe you and minami could learn to get along that way." Minami was glowing and smiling sheepishly. "Wolf in sheeps clothing" I muttered under my breath as I sat as far away from minami as I could, hoping that my request for space will get through that thick head of his. But unfortunately it didn't. He gracefully stood up grabbed his plate and sat right next to me. And started making conversations. At first I tried ignoring it, but then he nailed the topic…. "Did you hear that they were selling converses at 50% off in the mall today" My ears practically perked up at the mention of converse. I had been hunting for a pair since the beginning of second year, but I didn't have money to buy one. But if they were fifty percent off I could surely manage a pair! "Where is it?" I asked feigning boredom. He smiled triumphantly sliding back his chair and standing up with one arm stretched towards me. "Why don't I just take you there"

So here we are one hour later in the mall together. Mind you, I didn't take his hand but I did hitch a ride. Grit and bear grit and bear honey, you are almost in shoe haven! (I reminded myself)


	2. Chapter 2 : 'I Hate You'

_**First up, I am sorry if my writing style is a bit unorthodox. I am just experimenting and trying to find my own style (aren't we all **____** ) I hope everyone likes this chapter (if anyone is reading it to begin with :P ) Cheers, and hope to get some reviews soon!**_

So here we were one hour later in the mall together. Mind you, I didn't take his hand but I did hitch a ride. Grit and bear, grit and bear honey, you are almost in shoe haven, I kept reminding myself. Its funny how slow time passes when you are in the car with someone you dislike. You can practically see the bug on the windshield walk in slow motion and the paper on the street flutter as if you were looking at it frame by frame. Nanba tried to make conversation but fortunately for me my ipod drowned out his voice. Fine I wasn't the most social type, but doesn't everyone have their character flaws!

We were making our way to the shoe store when…. Wouldn't you know it a band of rabid Nanba fans zeroed in on him. 'OMG! Look its Minami-kun!' shrieked a tall blonde girl who was gracious enough to shove me into a nearby plant and take her place next to his side, soon there were almost ten girls hugging him and shrieking in high pitch making every animal with sensitive hearing run for cover. Even a playboy like Nanba couldn't handle ten of these women at once, he was being tugged and pulled from all direction making him look like a rag doll. I just chuckled and looked around, thanks to Nanba the entire shoe store had almost emptied out and all the shoppers were coming out to have a look at him. He stared at me pleading for help. I knew I had to help him but that can wait, first up the shoes!

I took two long strides and entered the shop, I could still hear him screaming my name and shouting for help. I just switched to a nice rock song and started trying out the converses. It was nice to just shop at your own pace with no shop attendants trying to pester you to buy and no customers trying to take the pair you had chosen. After ten minutes of trying, walking and checking the reflection from all angles I bought the limited edition LP converses, they were perfect! With the LP logo on one side and the other side had numb's lyrics scrawled all over it in a nice gothic font. I whistled my way to the counter and paid the full amount cash. I wasn't allowed to use credit cards, mother dearest felt that plastic would never make me realize the value of real hard earned money, learning the value or not, it certainly did substantially limit my spending capacity. I sighed and went out looking in both directions to make sure I didn't run into the rabid mob.

Nanba was no where to be seen. 'Maybe they abducted him' I thought and chuckled. 'Oh well, that's nothing for me to be worried about'. I went to the food court and bought myself a chocolate shake with chocolate ice cream, sprinkle, the works! I took a seat in the corner away from the crowds, it didn't have a great view but it was nice a secluded. I was about to taste the blissful chocolate when a rather obnoxious looking teenage girl plopped in the seat beside me. 'Hey aren't you the girl who was with Nanba?' She asked twisting her brown locks around her thin badly painted fingers. I just ignored her and continued to slurp up my shake when it was rudely snatched away.

I turned to look at the brunette, it was one of those excessively starved and over caked up teenagers, the type which I detested even more than Nanba. 'What do you want?' I asked venom dripping from every word that left my mouth. 'I just wanted your shake' she said happily slurping off someone else's cup. My face twisted in disgust at her lack of etiquette. 'What is the matter don't like to share?' asked her blonde counterpart. 'I don't mind sharing with humans, it's the apes I am apprehensive about' I said rolling my black orbs.

'You bitch!', she screamed slamming her fist on my table. There is no point in provoking such unstable girls so I figured it was best to finish things before they got worse. 'What do you want' I asked calmly. 'Oh I just want to know what your relationship is with Nanba-kun and I want his number now!' I rolled my eyes (boy I do do that often!) and stood up, my day went from normal to hell all because of him, he is such a wonderful good-luck charm. 'Hey bitch! She asked you a question!' a voice said very close to my ear, a bit too close. A new member had appeared and was now holding my hands behind my back, effectively cutting off my escape. I could tell that the girl was taller than me and definitely stronger. Now, this was really getting on my nerves, and all for that playboy, god what was wrong with these girls! I just hung my head and contemplated my situation. Two girls in front of me and one gorilla trying to hold me in place, the other customers were merely staring at us, the shop mangaer was making his way towards us, if I didn't get out of here I was probably going to be escorted out unceremoniously anyway. 'Whats the matter bitch? Where is all your spunk now?' the brunette asked. I rammed the back of head into the nose of and snatched the shake and emptied it on my brunette. 'Oh nothing ,I just decided I would share it with you', I said with a straight face as I slowly grabbed my bag (How can I forget my shoes!) and walked past the third stunned girl, she seemed to have enough brains to not mess with me. The girls were reeling from shock and by the time they came to their senses I was out of the food court.

'This bitch learnt karate', I muttered under my breath as I started heading for the lift. A low chuckle made me turn to my side, well wouldn't you know it standing with a hoodie and sunglasses, 'Nice disguise' I quipped still not bothering to ask him where he was. 'Its enough for now, but if I had known I had such a skilled karate expert as my body guard I wouldn't have had to hide in the first place!'. 'Sorry I don't work for assholes. And let me get this straight you saw the whole thing and decided to do nothing about it!' I looked straight into his eyes (well sunglasses) and asked. His sunglasses were too dark to make out what he was thinking but that smirk on his lips was enough to tell me that he didn't give a shit. 'Some gentleman you are!' I said pushing past him to the lift. Every cell of my body wanted to hit him with the bag I had in my hand, but my brain kept reminding me of its contents. 'God damn it!' I swore as I pressed kept pressing the button for the ground floor, as if that would make it any faster. 'That's not going to make any difference you know that don't you?' he asked chuckling . I just took two deep breaths and was trying my best to block him out.

He decided to take the initiative and break the silence again. 'Well I thought it was only fair after what you did to me outside the store' he said leaning on his side of the elevator. I could feel his eyes were looking me up and down as if I were an amusing toy. 'Those were two very different things!' I said snapping at him. I could feel my ears getting red with rage. 'Oh come on Sakura-chan an eye for an eye. I thought that was your philosophy.' I couldn't control my rage anymore, 'I hate you ! I hate guys like you!' I screamed at his back. He stopped in his tracks, there that hurt now didn't it! I was glad that I had finally inflicted some damage. But my happiness was short lived for what was stretched across his face was a Cheshire-like grin, 'Well that's too bad cause I like you' , he said flatly and walked out of the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3: Wrath and rain

WHACK! Then a loud OUCH! The bag had taken a trajectory from my hand to the back of his head, direct hit and a hard one at that. I was shaking with rage now, I couldn't stand the fact that he was toying with me. Saying that he LIKES me, what was he playing at! I collected my bag and stormed out of the mall. I didn't bother to even turn back and see what he was doing.

Third person POV-

Minami watched her shrink in the distance as he nursed his head, she had definitely hurt him now, emotionally not really, physically, hell yes! He could feel a slight bump starting to form, he had to get some ice on it soon before it really started to swell. He sighed as he made his way to his sedan, no girl had reacted to him in such an extreme fashion, no one except ashiya's friend Julia but that girl didn't interest him as much as Sakura. Sakura, well now, she was interesting! He was sure she would have been atleast a little flustered by his confession but she had reacted in the exact opposite way, he hadn't seen her face but he had surely felt her wrath. She had stormed off before he even had a chance to apologize, not that it would have made any difference, the girl had liked him as much as a dog would like a cat. He was never sure as to why she hated him that much but that really wasn't the issue now. He sat in his car and reached for his pack of cigarette that he usually had in his glove compartment. He wasn't a chain smoker like his uncle but he had the habit of smoking when he was not sure about the situation he was in. He took in a large puff and exhaled, better, his cloudy thoughts started to turn clearer, weird how smoke can clear your mind. He was pretty sure she would have enough money to catch a bus back to the inn, what he was worried about was the walk from the bus stop to the inn. The closest bus stop was two kilometers away from the inn and went right through an alley which wasn't the safest place for a girl to be walking through on such a stormy day. The sky had darkened considerably since the time they entered the mall, dark gloomy clouds hung all around threatening to open up any moment. Tch, the weather wasn't making his mood any better or the situation any easier, he decided to catch up with her before she caught the bus.

Back to sakura-

I was waiting at the bus stop, I didn't know for how long I had been standing there or when the next bus would come, all I knew was that I needed to get as far away from him as I could. I must have been emanating a very frightening aura cause all the other people steered clear by a two foot radius. I tried to calm myself with a song from my ipod, I scrolled over to a nice number by an English artist, Dido, her soothing voice made me relax a little if not completely. I tried to divert my attention to something else, I looked around the street, there weren't many people around most of them were indoors watching the football matches or the weekend soaps. The shops had discounts and sales banners in almost every size and color covering every inch of their windows but none of the strollers seemed to pay them any attention, most just seemed to be bent on getting back home without getting wet. The weather was cool and it looked like it was going to rain. I liked it when it rained, how the drops just fell from the skies and caressed your face and slid down your cheeks. And that gentle pitter patter that filled your ears it was nature's orchestra without any instruments. It had finally started to drizzle and I took it as a cue to take a stroll to the nearby book store and buy myself a nice suspense novel before I made my way back to the inn. I started walking away from the bus stop when an all too familiar red sedan pulled up beside me. He opened the passenger side door and said flatly, "Get in". As if I was going to get ordered around by him! I stomped off in the direction of the bookstore. I could faintly hear the door open and slam, I quickened my pace and tried to put some distance between us, but curse those long legs of his! He caught up with two long strides. He caught my hand and turned me to face him, he wasn't wearing his sunglasses anymore and his hood wasn't on. It had already started pouring and we were getting soaked. His hair was totally wet and there were drops hanging from his long lashes making him look very irresistible. This only made me want to walk further away, which probably isn't a normal reaction when you have a hot guy all soaked and handsome next to you. But I couldn't care less if he really was a model or if he was indeed good looking, he wasn't the type of guy I liked and that was that! But there was an earnest look in his eye that stopped me from walking away, it looked like they were pleading, pleading me to stop and listen, so I just stood there in the rain facing him. "Don't be so stubborn just get in the car, I can't let you walk alone in this downpour", he pleaded. I decided that it was best to get out of the rain and prevent an unnecessary cold. I shook his hand off and made my way to his car wordlessly. He ran ahead to open the door for me and smiled, I didn't bother to return it and just got into the car and shut the door. He ran around to the driver side and sat down making the entire seat damp, it was only then that I realized that the two of us were thoroughly soaked already. "Achoo" So much for preventing a cold. "Are you ok?" he inquired with concern, as he handed me a tissue. I took it gratefully and nodded. He had come in search of me and there was no reason for him to do it after I had hit him maybe there was still some amount of chivalry left in him. I just smiled into the tissue as I looked out the window, he was trying to read my expression but my hair shielded my face from his view. He tried to reach out then decided it was best not to try and call me, he turned the keys in the ignition and started up the car and drove towards the inn. The rain was making it extremely difficult to negotiate the sharp turns but he was skilled behind the wheel and managed to make it half-way without skidding. The car suddenly jerked forward and stopped, the motor had died out."Shit", he swore as he banged his fist on the steering wheel. Here we were on a small and deserted street all alone in the car stuck in a downpour. Nanba was outside checking the engine while I kept myself warm and atleast relatively drier inside. I was already starting to feel cold thanks to wet clothes. "It is no good, the engine doesn't look like it'll start up anytime soon", he announced as he came back in. I took out my cell phone to dial Ino-san when I realized that Nanba was doing the exact thing, "You can call her", I said keeping my phone inside. Afterall, she was his mother. He keyed in her number and was waiting for her to answer, I could hear the ringing and finally a low click, "Hello?" Ino-san's raspy voice said on the other end. "Mom, me and Sakura-chan are stuck on the service road just off the 2nd highway, the car has stalled and I don't think I can get it to start anytime soon, can you get Bill to bring the tow truck to pick us up from here?(pause) Ok sure we'll wait, and yes I won't do anything to Sakura-chan!" he mumbled something as he hung up. He didn't try making any conversation and just switched on the radio. This was going to be one long wait…..


	4. Chapter 4: Enigma

'Click' then nothing, Of course the radio wasn't going to work without anything to power it! Nanba let out a frustrated sigh and reached for his I phone to select a peppy pop number. The car was starting to get really cold and being drenched and stuck in wet colds didn't help make the situation any better. I heard shuffling next to me and turned to look. Nanba was taking off his shirt, "What are you doing!" I yelled turning away from him. "Being shirtless is better than being stuck in a wet shirt" he said calmly throwing his shirt over his shoulder onto the back seat. "Maybe you should …" He started only to get a death-glare which literally meant ' I'd rather die of pneumonia'. He sighed and reached for his ash tray. "Don't smoke in here! We can't even open the windows, we'll end up suffocating", I said in supersonic speed, irritation and embarrassment sure works wonders on my tempo! ;) He just chuckled and explained that he wasn't going to smoke. He took out some papers from his dashboard and lit them with a lighter and kept them on the ash tray and added enough papers to make it our very own mini-bonfire. On any other day I would have freaked out to see a fire inside a car but it was a blessing today. I rubbed my hands near it desperately trying to warm it. "What were those papers?" I asked curious to know why he so many in his dash board lying there waiting to be burnt. He smirked and replied, "The perks of being a model, fan letters" . I should have never asked, 'Narcissist' ,I muttered under my breath. "A very smart narcissist " he quipped. I rolled my eyes and moved closer to the fire. On any other day I would have cursed him for being a show-off and wondered if the girls that sent them were brain dead or mentally challenged but today I was merely thankful for their lack of taste and brain cells.

Five minutes of peace passed and the only thing that filled the silence was the crackling of the fire and the booming of the thunder. I was desperately trying to look anywhere but towards him. I settled for looking out of my now fogged window and resorted to what any kid stuck in the rain would do… doodling on the window. I started out with mountains and added detail as time passed, after ten minutes of finger defogging :P a scenary was all done, A lone sakura tree slanted on a cliff hanging gracefully defying gravity and floating towards the sky while still staying rooted. "Is that you?" he asked his voice too close to my ear, I turned and shoved him back into his seat. "Watch it! No funny stuff", I warned. He raised his hands defensively, "Relax ! I was just trying to take a closer look, its amazing that you managed to add so much detail with just your index finger" he said still examining my piece. "You are a gifted artist, the picture radiates emotion ..." he broke off staring at it. "Thanks", I muttered half heartedly, silently wishing that the tow truck would show up faster. "How did you know it was me?" I asked meeting his eyes for the first time. I was desperately trying to see if it was a calculated guess or something off the top of his head. He smiled and said, "Its really not that hard to tell, your name is sakura after all and the way you carry yourself everyday seems conflicted, so happy yet so unreachable and lonely" .

"Don't act like you have me all figured out, you don't have any clue about who I am" I said irritated by his attitude. How dare he think he knows me and act like he knows what goes on in my head. No one understands me not even me!

"It's the very fact that you are hard to understand that makes it easier for me to make out what goes on in that head of yours. Because every time you argue inside our head you end of showing it on your face", he said tapping my creased forehead. Blushing I turned away trying to figure out a retort and failing to come up with anything worthwhile. I settled for meddling with my phone and sending messages to my best friend who just happened to be his aunt. I chuckled to myself as I thought about Rio Umeda, my st Blossoms classmate. She was my age but had a nephew who was older than her, now that's some messed up family tree. Only a few of us knew of this fact. And I don't think anyone would believe it even if I said it out, such a lovely, benevolent girl related to such a callous, amoral guy! The eternal mysteries of genetics. I sneaked a peek at him from the corner of my eye, he was busy reading a magazine he had fished out his seemingly endless dashboard. I had to admit he was serious eye candy and was surprisingly sharp, an enigma to say the least.

An intriguing enigma indeed…! I shook my head trying to clear the last statement but it was already too late for it was etched into my mind now! I stared at him wondering what the hell was going to happen next….


	5. Chapter 5: Marketing a 'product'

We were picked up by Bill about half an hour later, the longest half-an-hour of my life! (Ok that was so cliché, but it seriously was agonizingly long!) I bolted out of the tow truck and rushed to my room in a hurry, Io-San shot a suspicious look at Nanba who was walking into the inn still shirtless. Soon an all out mother Vs Son scream fest ensued I didn't bother trying to set things straight because my first priority was getting out my wet clothes, no wait that was second to getting as far away from Nanba as possible!

An hour later-

I was lying in my bed snuggled up with a book. Books were my escape from my quotidian routines, they allowed me to take a trip to a world with just a few turns of the page. I was too engrossed in it to notice a new presence in the room, ' Boo' , said a voice near my ear making me jump two feet into the air. Two feet might be an exaggeration but you get the picture, right? I stared incredulously at the lanky man who had dared to invade my personal space. "Didn't know you were such a scared cat, Sakura-chan" he said chuckling, only to get hit by a pillow square in the face. 'The second time', he said muttering. "And there will be a third time, if you don't leave the room in another ten seconds", I said holding up another pillow. "Fine fine! No need to get so violent! I just came up to tell you that dinner was ready, mom made your favorite sushi" With that he walked to the door, I was just about to heave a sigh of relief when his raspy voice cut through the air again. "And sakura-chan you look cute in bunny PJs" he said winking. I cursed at the fact that my pillow had only managed to hit the door. Enigma or not he surely was a pain in the ass!

My stomach interrupted my swearing session reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything for the past 4 hours, I got out of my bed and made my way to the kitchen. I ambled along the corridors taking my time because the thought of Nanba in the same room as me had substantially dampened my appetite. I finally reached the kitchen and reached out to the handle wondering if it was still not too late to turn around and retreat to the safety of my room, "What am I thinking! I am not scared of that twit!" I marched into the kitchen grabbed a plate and seated myself at the counter and started helping myself to some of Io-san's delicious Sushi. "Glad to see that you are doing well, Sakura". Just as she finished the sentence I let out a sneeze the first one of many more to follow. "Mom, I think you just jinxed her!" Nanba said in-between laughs. I was still sneezing when a flustered Io-san ran about the kitchen boiling water, getting cough syrup and heating up some broth for the soup. "Its ok Io-san I am fine, its just a cold!" I returned to eating the Sushi when I felt a blanket being draped over my shoulder, Nanba just smiled and left the room wordlessly. I couldn't help but be flustered by the gesture. Io-san glanced to see a slight blush across my cheeks, "Oh my! Now you are getting a fever!" she said fusing over me. I thanked my stars as I smiled to myself.

That was the last I saw of Nanba that summer, because the very next day he was called for a photo shoot in Paris, and so my thoughts about him took a back seat for the rest of my holidays. Two days before my holidays ended I left for home and was looking forward to two days of R&R and some girl time with Rio. I caught a cab from the train station because I didn't want to carry the suitcase and walk for a mile… now that's for people who love to exercise or are in a dire need of losing weight… I paid the cab driver and walked to my porch, there was a car parked outside my house one of those nice flashy sports cars. I wondered who had come to my house, I didn't have any friends or relatives who were rich enough to buy a fancy convertible. I peeped in through the window curious to see who was inside I could just make out an outline of a man and a woman, I tried to make out their faces but it was hard to see through the translucent curtains. I shrugged and made my way to the door, I let myself in and walked into the living room and started making my way to my room when mother dearest called out. "Sakura! There you are! Look we have guests, they have been waiting to see you and look at you, haven't I thought you to show some respect!" my mother started, thankfully the lady held up a long thin hand to stop her. "Come now, she just came back from her summer job, she was probably very tired and wanted to freshen up" She said smiling understandingly. I just nodded as I studied them, the woman was built and wore over the top make up and clothes, the guy next to her looked like he was about Nanba's age and his ridiculously blonde hair and bright clothes were screaming 'fashion disaster'! I fought off a snicker as I bowed low and wished them. The boy seemed to blush as he turned away from me and the lady nodded approvingly. "A very well mannered girl" she said smiling as she studied me from top to bottom. I shifted uneasily under her scrutinizing gaze. "And she is an excellent cook, has great grades in school and she is also a budding artist" my gushing mother added. It almost sounded like I was some product she was desperately marketing. Wait a minute… product… marketing…? Don't tell me these people were here for me…!

"Ahem, Mother may I have a quick word with you? Excuse us please (I said adding a curt bow and stepping out of the room)". "What is it, Sakura?" my mother asked as soon as she was out of earshot. "You know very well what its about! Who are those people!" I asked barely managing to keep my voice below the screaming threshold. "Those nice people are here to see you Sakura. They are here to fix your marriage with that lovely young boy …" I cut her off "What the hell! I am not marrying a guy I don't even know! For heavens sake Ma, I don't even know his name!" I shouted at my mom. I was towering over her, my entire body quivering with rage. I hadn't even completed my high school and here she was trying to get me married off to a stranger! "My name is Shuichi _Nakatsu_, and I am here so that we can get to know each other." Said a calm voice from the doorway, I raised my head to see my 'fiance' staring at me earnestly. What had my mother gotten me into…..


	6. Chapter 6: The Bennet Routine

A/N: Thank you, for the reviews :) Really appreciate it! After all without reviews a writer is just someone who writes :)

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"My name is Shuichi _Nakatsu_, and I am here so that we can get to know each other." Said a calm voice from the doorway, I raised my head to see my 'fiance' staring at me earnestly. What had my mother gotten me into…..

I turned to take a good look at my 'fiance' , he was tall, moderately built and surprisingly handsome if you didn't take into account his shockingly blonde hair. He looked at me uncertainly as he stood in the doorway contemplating if he should come closer. I looked him in the eye and trying my best to contain the anger and frustration I felt, said, "I am Sukura, and I do not wish to get married to you." Saying this I bowed to the shocked boy and turned to leave, only to be unceremonious dragged back by my short but rather strong mother.

"How dare you!", she screamed, at any other circumstance having my mother, who was almost a head shorter than me trying to appear menacing while craning her neck to look at me would have had me in peels of laughter but right now it only seemed to fuel my anger further. I gently released myself from her grip and looked at the still startled boy and bowed again, "I apologise for my rudeness, but this engagement was my mother's decision and not mine. I have no intentions of marrying anyone any time soon."

"What a quaint little child you are", said his mother as she walked towards me. I was expecting her to be fuming but instead she was grinning, and she was calling me quaint! She looked me up and down with her polished finger pressed against his chin, "I like the way you speak your mind, and I admire your guts. You'll be a perfect match for my Nakatsu" She said mirthfully.

'What the hell is wrong with this woman', I thought as the two women walked back into the living room chatting happily. I tried my best to appear unperturbed but my eyebrow kept twitching making my frustration far too noticeable. Nakatsu had hung back and was looking anywhere but my direction. I cleared my throat to catch his attention and said, "Nakatsu why would you want to marry a girl you hardly know? I am not one for love or anything, but marriages require a certain amount of compatibility between spouses to keep them from killing each other, and I have no idea if I can spend ten minutes with you without trying to tear out the hair from my head." He looked like a deer caught in headlights and blinked trying to process my statement and finally (unexpectedly) burst out laughing. I couldn't help but smile at this, I had to admit he did look cute when he laughed, Whoa Sakura next thing you know you'll be saying its ok to marry this guy! I mentally scolded myself for that thought as I silently observed the boy as he regained his composure. He smiled at me and asked, "Why don't we go for a drive and get some fresh air?"

I just nodded to acknowledge him and went to grab a pair of shoes. After slipping on my converse and grabbing my ipod, (a handy thing to avoid conversations) I made my way to the front porch, where he was waiting with his hands in his pockets. He walked up to his convertible and held the door open for me, I wordlessly got into the car and slipped on the seatbelt as he got into the driver seat and started the car. "Where would you like to go, Sakura-san (Formal address)?" I hadn't eaten since I had left Io-San's inn so I decided it would be best to grab a bite while burning a large whole in his pocket. "The French restaurant – 'Paris' on 12th street." I replied, more of a statement rather than a suggestion. He just nodded and eased the car onto the road.

He had switched on the radio and spared me from any conversation. I really couldn't make out what he was thinking. He constantly kept drumming his fingers on his steering wheel, out of frustration or nervousness, I really couldn't tell. I closed my eyes and tried to think, my mother had pulled a Mrs. Bennet routine and I was stuck with Mr. Blonde guy for now. I could tell that he was rich, chivilrous and nervous around women, but apart from that I really couldn't read him at all.

My thoughts were interrupted as we slowly pulled into the restaurant. He got down and handed the keys to the employee while I got out of the car. We walked in together and made our way to the reception. The head waiter looked at us incredulously, making me suddenly conscious of our apparel. We were both sticking out like a sore thumb in this upper-class eatery and were probably going to be unceremoniously escorted out at any moment now. "We should probably ..." I started only to be cut-off by the French Waiter, "Ah, Bonjour monsieur. Nakatsu, welcome to our humble restaurant, please come this way, you too mademoiselle" he said leading us into to a private table on the far side. As we walked in, many people turned around to look at us, most of them pointed at Nakatsu and began to talk animatedly among themselves. It was now my turn to gape at him. Not only had his presence earned us a table in this posh, reservation only restaurant but had also gotten us the best table. The table was beautiful, with a white linen table cloth and intricate lace endings, there lay two perfectly placed lush red napkins, and in the center a slender white orchid in a beautiful red vase flanked by two long tapering candles. A young waiter came out of nowhere and pulled up the chair for me, I sat down muttering a barely audible, "Merci" .

"Here are the menus, I really hope that the two of you have a delightful evening here", he said bowing as he left. I looked at Nakatsu and asked the only thing I could in this situation, "Who are you!"


End file.
